One dead in house fire

A 100-year-old man died and his 93-year-old wife is fighting for her life after a house fire today. Heroic neighbours smashed their way into the large detached bungalow on Hilton Lane, Prestwich, shortly before 1am and pulled a woman to safety.

A 100-year-old man died and his 93-year-old wife is fighting for her life after a house fire today.

Heroic neighbours smashed their way into the large detached bungalow on Hilton Lane, Prestwich, shortly before 1am and pulled a woman to safety.

The woman is now in a "critical condition" in North Manchester General Hospital.

The fire started in a bedroom where the body of one male occupant was found by firefighters. The dead man was a non smoker and the cause of the fire is still under investigation but a heating appliance is being examined as part of the probe.

Pino Pagliara, 51, was one of three neighbours who went into the house after discovering it was on fire.

"I heard a bang and came outside and it was like a huge bonfire," he said.

"I could see flames through one of the windows and a lot of smoke. I tried to open a window and in the end I broke a pane of glass in the front door so we could get in. It was horrific in there, it was such intense heat and the smoke was blinding. We found the woman by the door and we helped pull her out."

He said it wasn't until he reached North Manchester General Hospital that he realised someone else was in the house as well.

Football agent Mr Pagliara had to have stitches to his right hand and right foot where he had broken the house windows.

Fire investigators are not treating the blaze as suspicious.

Bravery

Broughton-based firefighter Dan Winters said the neighbours had been very brave.

"The heat was well into the hundreds, it had taken the plaster off the walls, to go in there without protective equipment is a really brave act."

Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the house to tackle the blaze. A spokesman for the fire service said the lounge, bedroom and hall were affected by the fire.

Brigade spokesman Tony Hunter said: "The neighbours did a very good job and so did firefighters. Crews rescued the lady from a hall after neighbours had brought her to that point. They then did a search of the property and found the man.

"There were no signs of working smoke alarms in the house.

"The neighbours had managed to kick a hole in the door to get in and we kicked in the door completely when we arrived.

"The lady was given oxygen treatment at the scene but is in a critical condition due to severe inhalation of smoke."